In 2004, a devastating tsunami struck the shores of the Indian Ocean in Indonesia, causing significant destruction across Asia and Africa.
The Indian Navy was the first to respond to the crisis, offering vital assistance to its maritime neighbours Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia within 12 hours of the disaster.
The Indian response was crucial in these regions. The 2004 tsunami also marked a pivotal moment when India ceased accepting humanitarian aid and became the region’s ‘first responder’ to numerous humanitarian crises.
Two decades later, it is imperative to review the advancements in India’s Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) systems in light of recent crises.
Examining Nepal in this context has become essential due to the connected geography and shared ecological and natural vulnerabilities, such as the volatility of the Himalayas.
Additionally, Nepal is central to India’s ‘neighbourhood first’ policy, which aims to foster people-to-people connections within South Asia.
As part of the post-earthquake restoration package, India extended a line of credit of USD 250 million: USD 50 million was allocated to each of the education, cultural heritage, and health sectors, while USD 100 million was designated for housing.
The open borders between Nepal and India provide both countries with a unique opportunity to address the humanitarian needs of the former.
Since Operation Maitri, India has been at the forefront of being the first responder to HADR efforts in South Asia and beyond.
Over the past year, India’s response to the earthquakes in Nepal, Afghanistan, and Turkey has exemplified its preparedness.
State of HADR of India
India’s HADR response has evolved from the numerous natural and man-made crises faced by our modern world over the past two decades.
Following the 2004 tsunami, India’s HADR efforts have predominantly focused on the conflicts in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian civil war, Libyan civil war, Yemeni civil war, Sudanese civil war, and more recent conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. India has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to providing humanitarian assistance in these conflict zones.
It has successfully rescued its citizens as well as those of neighbouring countries stranded in these areas.
India’s HADR programmes work in close coordination with the armed forces, the Ministry of External Affairs, and India’s National Disaster Response Force.
Through its various response channels and extensive experience, India’s HADR has become one of the most credible mechanisms for mitigating crises.
India has endeavoured to institutionalise HADR as a foreign policy response to any humanitarian crisis.
To demonstrate India’s capabilities in disaster risk response and mitigation within the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Prime Minister Narendra Modi established the Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE), also known as Operation Chakravat, in 2015 as part of the country’s flagship maritime policy, “Security and Growth for All” (SAGAR).
Similarly, India and the United States launched Operation Tiger TRIUMPH to foster tri-service cooperation between the two nations and provide amphibious HADR capabilities in the event of a natural disaster.
Furthermore, India and the United States have expanded their HADR collaboration through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
The Quad has explored ways to enhance its capacity, capability, and interoperability throughout the Indo-Pacific region while also offering coordinated responses to climate disasters.
Nepal India HADR
In April 2015, Nepal experienced a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8, bringing the nation to a standstill, resulting in the deaths of nearly 9,000 people and causing damage worth billions of dollars.
Within four hours, India’s Globemaster aircraft flew to Nepal carrying rescue and relief supplies. India’s National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force collaborated closely with Nepal’s military to conduct rescue and relief operations.
It is also worth mentioning here that both Nepali and Indian disaster relief forces could work together because of their earlier engagements with Nepal’s people in the Indian armed forces and the lesser language barrier between them (India’s official language Hindi is widely spoken in Nepal too).
Statistically speaking, the Indian Air Force (IAF) responded to the earthquakes immediately by deploying its Medium Lift Helicopters (MLH) in severely affected areas of Nepal, including the capital, Kathmandu, as well as other towns and cities such as Aloghat, Chautara, Charikot, Dhading, Lukla, and Trishuli.
Alongside the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its more than 500 personnel, the Indian Army also flew 13 helicopters between Kathmandu and Pokhara to deliver aid to those in need. In fact, India conducted Operation Maitri across the entirety of Nepal, providing assistance to the civilian population and saving over 5,000 lives.
As the world becomes increasingly susceptible to ecological crises and natural disasters due to climate change, India’s HADR efforts can significantly benefit the South Asian region.
Operation Maitri, one of India’s largest-ever humanitarian relief efforts, underscores Nepal’s importance in terms of Indian foreign policy objectives.
In addition, India provided Nepal with approximately 154 crore Nepalese rupees in aid for the housing and education sectors.
As part of the post-earthquake restoration package, India extended a line of credit of USD 250 million: USD 50 million was allocated to each of the education, cultural heritage, and health sectors, while USD 100 million was designated for housing.
It is noteworthy that this was India’s first large-scale operation in a different sovereign state.
India’s humanitarian efforts in Nepal demonstrated two distinct need-based approaches.
In the short term, the armed forces concentrated on saving lives by providing emergency relief and airlifting people.
In the long-term approach, India focused on reconstruction and infrastructure development projects that were closely tied to the development of Nepali citizens.
Conclusion
India’s theme for its G20 presidency was Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, which translates to One Earth-One Family-One Future.
This theme reflects a holistic view of global challenges and a commitment to building consensus in addressing them.
The HADR operations conducted by India in Nepal have been advantageous for Nepal, enabling India to demonstrate its preparedness for regional humanitarian crises and to realise its foreign policy goals, whether through Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or Vishva Bandhu (Brother to the World).
As the world becomes increasingly susceptible to ecological crises and natural disasters due to climate change, India’s HADR efforts can significantly benefit the South Asian region.
(Harsh Pandey is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi, He is also a Life Member of International Centre for Peace Studies)
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